There is a reason why the Atlanta Falcons do not seem to be so flustered about Kirk Cousins' contract. All offseason long, there was a growing sense that Atlanta had to move on from him because of the $10 million roster bonus he was slated to make five days into the new league year. Instead, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk provided us all with some clarity on the contract at hand.
The $10 million in question is not owed on the fifth day of the new league year of 2025. What is important to know is that money goes from being "guaranteed for injury to fully guaranteed" for the 2026 NFL season. Atlanta is still on the hook for $27.5 million anyway in 2025 after paying Cousins $62.5 million last season. The Falcons can afford to pay Cousins this because of Michael Penix Jr.
Since Penix is only making $1.835 million for this season, Atlanta is paying just south of $30 million for both quarterbacks this season. Yes, it does look wonky to pay the bulk of that to your backup over your starter, but that may have always been part of the plan. Keep in mind that Penix was not expected to play much, if at all, during his first two seasons with the Falcons. They prepared for this.
On the other hand, it makes things a bit more bleak for the Cleveland Browns trying to trade for him.
Kirk Cousins' contract may prevent him from going to Cleveland Browns
The big key here with Cousins' contract is that Atlanta may not ever have to pay that $10 million. By essentially deferring it to next offseason, Atlanta could just as easily cut ties with him either via a trade or an outright release. The Falcons could also restructure the contract to help get it off their books, allowing for more cap space to be freed up. Again, it seems like we misread the fine print.
What may have happened is Cousins playing poorly down the stretch, combined with Penix looking very promising in his three starts last offseason, messed with our heads a bit. It was always a two-year plan, but one that seems to have been expedited by unforeseen circumstances. Cousins is not getting any younger and definitely wants to start somewhere this season. Atlanta has all the leverage.
This is why I doubt they are going to release him, as the Falcons are not going to eat all that dead money for nothing. Atlanta would much rather trade for some sort of compensation in the event the Falcons have to move on from Cousins. In theory, Cleveland felt like the right landing spot for him this offseason, but Atlanta is not ready to give up the goat. In time, maybe the Falcons will be okay with it?
For now, Atlanta seems it would rather have Cousins in tote for one more season out of security.